film

I know not everyone is a fan of Yoko Ono (mostly misinformed and for no good reason) but I regard her as one of the most inspiring, innovative, talented artist of our day, an admirably strong woman and also a role model. Thanks to the tech age I get to follow her thoughts on Twitter (she actually wrote me back and thanked me for following, which I imagine she does for all her followers. So thoughtful.) Today she posted about the "Smiling Face Film." It's a project that begun in 1962, the first photo was of John (Lennon) smiling. The ideas behind it - My ultimate goal in film-making is to make a film which includes a smiling face snap of every single human being in the world. She shares now a flickr page where people all around the world can submit photos of themselves, others smiling. What's incredible is the fact that she began this idea long before there was the internet, long before we can start a photo "pool", long before she could reach out on Twitter for more smiling faces. She started this in 1962, and it continues in 2010. Check out the Smiling Face Film page for the original letter she wrote in 1962 describing the project and the film as it develops.

"Evil Dead" is a cult classic. I can't watch anything remotely scary, regardless how campy, cheesy, etc, but even I watched and can vouch for the greatness of this film. So when I came upon this little gem that is "Evil Dead done in 60 seconds with CLAY", I had to share.

Evil Dead done in 60 seconds with CLAY - 2010 from Lee Hardcastle on Vimeo.

This is amazing! I love David Lynch. George Lucas... Come on, you're an ant, he's a god and you gave him a terrible migraine. What were you thinking?

This is an animated short I made using audio of David Lynch telling the story of when he met George Lucas about possibly directing Return of The Jedi. This was shot entirely with my iPhone 3G using the iMotion app. Enjoy…

When Lynch Met Lucas from Sascha Ciezata on Vimeo.

My girl is an avid Netflix-user and she's good at ordering movies I haven't seen or had forgotten about. Last night was A Few Good Men night (pause) and needless to say, I had to share the best scene... Enjoy.

I just heard a not too favorable review of Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" on the radio on my drive... But it's still a movie I want to and plan to see. I'm sure lot of others will be seeing the movie and I thought it would be the perfect time to share the very first Alice in motion picture form. Made in 1903, it was based on Sir John Tenniel’s original illustrations and lucky for us was just recently restored by BFI National Archive. Directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow. Enjoy!

Here's the trailer for the recently released Jean-Michel Basquiat documentary "The Radiant Child." It features never before seen interviews shot by his friend, Tamra Davis, just two years before his untimely death in 1988 at the age of 27. When I watch and listen to Jean-Michel in the beginning of this trailer I can see why and how he met his tragic end (heroine overdose.) He seems so delicate, fragile, it's almost no surprise he was engulfed by the art world and the burdens of being an "art star"...

Planning on seeing the Banksy pseudo-documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop"? Then why not watch it at the Lambeth Palace, the makeshift theatre Banksy built for this very occasion? Built under Waterloo train station in London, it boasts 150 seats, popcorn stalls, lounge bar, and "stunning toilet facilities." Bad news if you were actually considering it, the shows are already all booked...

It looks like Peneope Cruz will be the leading lady in the next Lars Von Trier film, a ‘psychological disaster film’ with sci-fi overtones called "Melancholia." I suppose some may say the next "victim" considering Von Trier's reputation for being a woman hating misogynist leaving many of his leading actresses disgusted if not emotionally scarred after their role in his films. So far I only have three of his films under my belt ("Dancer in the Dark," "Breaking the Waves," and "Antichrist") but I'm not convinced he is a woman hater at all. Granted, some are incredibly difficult to watch but I think his films are incredibly beautiful. Not only visually (which all of them always are) but also in theme. Of course not in the traditional sense, but the beauty of his work is amplified by the very fact that he always tackles such non-traditional themes and story lines. Antichrist is so far my favorite in that it was actually funny. It's a comedy practically and with pro-feminist messages, I thought. It didn't deserve all the controversy surrounding it but it was an entertaining film to watch and I recommend it. Also, I shouldn't play down the fact that it contained some of the most ethereally beautiful scenes I'd ever seen in film. I'm definitely looking forward to "Melancholia."

I really enjoyed this short film by Luke Snellin. I'm a fan of anything that can convey a feeling like this in only 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Enjoy.

Better late than never, I'm finally going to make an attempt to get to a theatre to watch "A Single Man" this weekend. A film shot, seen through the eyes of Tom Ford is bound to be spectacular and breathtaking.